1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the use of destruction and dye resistant tags, for tagging and identifying textiles subject to a dyeing and finishing process. More specifically, this invention relates to the use of an aramid paper as a tag.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the textile industry it is common and necessary practice to identify textile units (rolls, bolts, etc.) which are subject to a dyeing process. Specifically, it is useful to tag units and to include on the tags information as to a characteristic of the tagged textile unit or the process to which the textile unit is subjected. However, the passage of the unit through a dyeing stage and/or bleaching stage will usually destroy any information recorded on a ticket or tag attached to the unit. On one hand, the tag may absorb dye and discolor to such an extent that the information previously recorded thereon is no longer distinguishable. On the other hand, the tag may be bleached so that the information recorded thereon is no longer visible. Still another problem is that the tag may be torn, or otherwise destroyed due to heating, tumbling or chemical reaction.
Several methods have heretofore been used in the textile industry to identify textile units to counteract the aforenoted problems. These include:
(1) Isolation of textile units into separate dye lots where the identifying document and associated information is physically removed from the textile unit(s) during dyeing, but kept associated with the unit(s) until the material has been dried and finished. This method, which requires keeping the identifying document separate from the textile unit, is generally unsatisfactory except for small batch processing where it is relatively easy to keep track of which identifying document is associated with a particular textile unit. PA0 (2) Attaching a removable ticket to each unit while stencilling a unit identification number with either a light ink (on dark shades) or a dark ink (on light shades) by hand on the textile unit. In this method the regular identification ticket marked with textile information and the unit I.D. number is removed prior to the dyeing and/or bleaching. After the textile unit is dry and processing complete, the ticket may be matched up to the textile unit by the identification number and the ticket is sewn or otherwise reattached to the textile unit. Additionally, depending upon the color and shade of dye which is being used, it may be necessary to use a different color ink for stencilling. PA0 (3) Tagging with a numbered metal tag. In this method the regular identifying ticket is removed and the number of the metal tag is recorded on the ticket. The metal tag is then attached to the textile unit which is then processed. When the material is dry after the bleaching and/or dyeing process is complete, the identifying ticket is reattached by matching the number on the metal tag attached to the textile unit to the identifying ticket.
The use of various tags for various purposes is disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ Number Inventor(s) Issue Date ______________________________________ 3,828,454 Hafner et al August 13, 1974 3,947,983 Brunette April 6, 1976 4,107,861 Johnson August 22, 1978 ______________________________________
As disclosed at column 1 of the Hafner et al patent, numerous attempts have been made over the years to develop a tag suitable for use in harsh conditions and to alleviate the problem of illegible tags. The tag proposed by the Hafner et al patent includes a metal sheet laminated to cross-woven fiberglass sheets.
The Brunette patent discloses a chemical process resistant tag structure comprising a foil layer laminated to a web of spun polyethylene fibers. The tag is suggested to be suitable for use with textiles processed through hot dyeing vats by virtue of the resistance of the foil on one side and the plastic material on the other side to fluid absorption.
The Johnson patent disclosed a label structure having a sheet member or oriented thermal plastic polymer bonded to a substrate member. The tag structure is disclosed as being resistant to temperature changes and chemicals which do not attack the label structure. The sheet of oriented thermal plastic polymers may be composed of polyamide polymers or rubber-modified polyethylene polymer, among other materials.
Thus, it has generally been recognized that plastic and metal tags are useful as tags in identifying textiles being processed through various treatment stages such as dyeing, bleaching, finishing, etc. where the textile and associated tag may be subject to harsh and caustic chemicals, mechanical handling and temperature changes. However, there is a well recognized need for tags which can be imprinted with indicia which remain relatively unaffected by the treatment process so that the units can be conveniently tagged prior to treatment without fear of having the tag either destroyed or the indicia rendered illegible during the process.
In addition to the recent developments in tag structure design as discussed above, there has been recent activity devoted towards the quite divergent goal of realizing an electrical insulation material suitable for use at high temperatures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,908, of George C. Gross, patented Sept. 4, 1973, and hereby incorporated by reference, discloses an aramid paper suitable for use as an electrical insulator. The paper consists essentially of a non-woven, nonfused, commingled mixture of floc (short length fibers) of a nonfusable aromatic polyamide and fibrids (small binder particles) of a nonfusable aromatic polyamide. The floc and fibrids are slurried together as a mix which may be converted to appear on a Fourdorinier machine or other conventional paper making process. Characteristics of aramid papers include good thermal stability and high electrical resistance, thus making it readily acceptable for use as an electrical insulating tape. But its use outside of the electrical industry is relatively limited because the aramid paper has a great reluctance to accept dye. Indeed, various attempts have been made to overcome this limitation to find other uses for this material.
More generally, the preparation of fibrids of various polymers and their use in making synthetic papers is described in Morgan U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,788, issued Sept. 12, 1961, hereby incorporated by reference. The Morgan patent discloses fibrid bonded paper like products as having a broad range of applications and sheet products prepared from hard polymers fibrids or combinations of these fibrids and hard polymer staple may provide good dimensional stability, resistance to alkity, low water absorption, good wet strength and low moisture sensitivity.